"Flirting with madness was one thing; when madness starts flirting back, it was time to call the whole thing off." – Rohinton Mistry
"Okay, that's it for the day."
Groans in response, one by one all of them dropped onto the ground; dust glazed the sky and scattered over them. Their chests heaved in air through their nostrils as it flared; sweat dampened the brown dust that almost seemed as though they watered the grass.
Standing beyond the others, Katherine walked around them as she held her head high; all eyes were on her, all of them wondering how she could not feel the ache in her muscles. Katherine ignored the other Omegas' stares as they all smelt her scent; brows furrowed at her scent, which almost made her growl.
Pacing out of the training ground, she travelled down the dirt path and felt a few stares dart her way whilst she walked past several other lycans of the pact; they have yet to get used to her. Do I smell that much for them to look at me? she thought as she made her way to her designated cabin; as she entered her cabin, she already smelt someone within, making her pause in front of the door.
"Long day?" her cabin mate questioned as she peered up from her comic book; her fringe dangled beyond her hairpin and covered her emerald eyes that seemed to pierce through Katherine.
Shaking her head, she walked towards the small kitchenette and noticed the growing pile of candy wrappers, empty cans of soda, and paper plates that smelt of spaghetti. Pinching the space between her brows, Katherine sighed out loud as she felt a smirk from her cabin mate, who eyed her curiously as though wondering what she might or might not do.
Ignoring the mess before her, Katherine whipped open the fridge and took a bottle of water out, then slammed the fridge shut before she locked herself inside her room. She sat on her bed and drank the bottle dry, before she threw it in the bin inside her room, adding to the pile of empty, plastic inside.
There was a gentle breeze from her window, which made her turn and stare outside. Her mind drifted as she thought of her week; she had been training with everyone else, the wolves that dawned a normal life outside of the walls, whilst she had stopped her own education. There would be times she thought of returning to the institution, hoping to return to her original plan: graduate and enter college, probably live a routine life.
As much as she wanted to, she could not. Alexis remained at large, but was not the ultimate threat; the renegades that have tried to hunt them had not shown themselves yet, but she was certain they would. Not a single night had she lowered her guard, nor has she slept properly for eight long hours, perhaps when Jesslyn is about, but most of the time, she did not.
Jesslyn has not dug any further into the renegades and Zander had yet to reveal the information he had. Not that anyone wanted to hear anymore. It has been quiet for quite some time and Katherine had already thought that Alexis had given up. But from everything she went through, she had high doubts that she did.
Leaning back into her bed, she let out another sigh and closed her eyes. The darkness greeted her as she tried to silence her surroundings; she could hear almost everyone from a twenty mile radius. Breathing in and out, she tried to sleep as her surroundings eventually turned off, going quiet, that only the beating of her heart could be heard.
Slowly, she raised her eyelids and allowed the afternoon light shine through her window. As her pupils stared at the sunrays, a lone, patch of white above the colours that caught her attention and made her stare. An unknown object zoomed fast inside it, that made her question its existence, but her face remained the same, uninterested.
What is that even? Katherine thought as she watched the patch of white creep wider which made her raise a brow, elevating herself by the elbows. Curious, she kept her eye on it until another object flew past and made her question why it was there, and as she did, she remembered seeing them a week ago, on their first day in the Marshe house, but does not recall seeing it again.
Until now.
All of a sudden, several more unknown round objects flew past it in a swarm, almost as if running away from something in fear; a piercing screech enveloped her senses as she covered her ears in haste, looking away for a moment before her eyes returned to it. The patch gradually crept open, consuming half of her ceiling.
These objects jolted in screeches that almost numbed her ears as they ran away to a single direction, perhaps out of fear, but Katherine could only guess. She swallowed her spit as the swarm continued to fly away in a torrent before the long herd eventually stopped; her eyes were glued on it, wondering why and what just happened.
As her mind calmed itself, a lonely blot emerged from the centre of the white patch. Squinting, she stared at it and watched as it gradually grew bigger and bigger; her heartbeat palpitated with anxiety, curiosity, but above all, uncertainty. She knew not what it was, but wanted an answer to this phenomenon that somehow presented itself to her.
Bigger and bigger, the blot grew as Katherine slowly raised her hand to reach out to it; her knees slowly bolted straight as she stood, wondering what that thing was. As her eyes stared, a loud screech penetrated her eardrums that made her fall back into her mattress, with her palms covering her ears.
Her eyes shut tight from sudden outburst; her body went into spasms as she curled into a foetal position. The screech burned her ears to its core as a high pitched sound grounded her mind, making her heartbeat rise uncontrollably as anger raged for it all to stop.
Forcefully, she looked at the patch and found a shadow thrashing the patch she looked at as though it prevented it from passing through; the blot no longer visible. The shadow pounded against the thin veil of white, but seemed to be unable to make a dent as it screeched in fury at the veil between them as though trying to break free.
What on earth is that?
Katherine demanded an answer from her thoughts, but her body was in no position to claim one. The screech had left her paralysed, unable to even move from her position, yet her anger raged within; there was an undeniable urge to strangle the being above. Her eyes were glowing gold from the unquellable rage.
"Katherine!"
A knock boomed from the other side of her door.
"There's someone here who wants to see you, he's been waiting for half an hour now. So come out already!"
Sitting up, Katherine held her chest as if to supress her running heartbeat. She looked at the door and realised that she was no longer paralysed by the alarming screech. Taking deep slow breaths, she closed her eyes for a moment as the heavy hand from the other side threw three consecutive bangs on her door.
"Alright, Scarlett," Katherine managed to speak, "I'm coming."
"Hurry the hell up," Scarlett responded as she walked back to the living room. Katherine took a deep breath and smelt her visitor, unsure whom it was. She got up and reluctantly, she looked up and found not a single trace of the white patch overhead. Sighing, she shook herself free from what occurred, then opened her door to face her visitor.
Pacing down the narrow hallway, she caught a whiff of cinnamon in the air as she caught a glimpse of short, light brown hair, sitting on the couch adjacent of Scarlett, who was staring – almost fawning – at their visitor.
Taking in the air, she noticed the stench of their visitor, human by definition, mortal by another. She cleared her throat and watched the visitor spun his head towards her, his blue eyes glistening with sparkles as it met hers, almost stopping her steps; charming was his smile, enough to make hearts skip, but Katherine's did not.
"You must be Katherine Wilson?" he inquired as he stood up just as Katherine got closer, which made her look up a bit, aware of the taller man in front of her, "It's nice to meet you," he stretched his hand out to her, "I'm Orion, Deckard Orion."
Katherine took his hand and shook it firmly, "Pleasure," then pulled back to examine him carefully before asking; "What can I do for you, Deckard?"
"A lot," he replied with a smile, charming as the first time she saw it, "But before we jump into that," he approached the door and opened the door, "Let's take a walk."
Katherine stared at him for a moment, before she looked at Scarlett, who shook her head with her utmost refusal, but she did not wish to obey her; she can sense her interest in their guest, but she did not wish to smell her hormones for the whole period.
Without a second thought, Katherine walked out the door and heard it close behind her; she did not wish to stay in the cabin either, not after what she witnessed. Taking a deep breath, she looked over her shoulder to eye Deckard as he walked out; there was something about his scent that made her raise a brow, but could not put a finger on it.
He met her curious gaze and shot her a smile, which made Katherine look away almost in an instant; a hint of pink across her now, lightly tan skin. Not a single word was uttered as they paced far away from the camp, entering the lake ground that was far enough for not a single wolf to hear. She smelt her surroundings and sure enough, there was no one there but them and the trees.
"So," she mumbled as they kept following the path, "How can I help you?"
Deckard looked at her from the side, "Well, you can start by how you got here."
"I beg your pardon?" Katherine replied with a raised brow, her warning signals turned on.
Deckard chuckled, "Don't take offense, Katherine," he raised his hand then slowly procured a knife that had the mark all too familiar to Katherine, which made her halt in step with brows furrowed in seconds, "I'm with the clan, though I'm not here to hunt you."
"Are you from Alexis's group?" she hissed as she gripped his throat in an instant and raised him; her eyes alerted yellow.
Heaving air into his lungs, he tried to lighten the grip around his neck as he spoke through her tight grip; "Calm down. I'm not with Alexis or anyone. I'm just here to observe the NoMs in this area."
"Better start talking," Katherine threatened through gritted teeth as she dropped him. She took a step back to give him space to breathe and watched him take the knife he dropped from her sudden pounce. He merely shook his head for a moment before he stood up and dusted himself, then took a deep breath, before turning to her with a smile despite what she had just done to him.
While dusting his pants, Deckard nodded, "I'm just an observer," he spoke then procured a badge from his black leather coat, "The clan planted us in society through utmost secrecy, only to observe if there are anomalies in the area where NoMs gather. I have been assigned to this county and have been here for a few months now, but the NoMs don't know that."
Looking at the badge, she read it, memorised its markings and released her stance, allowing the young gent to ease himself. He offered a much warmer smile as he examined her, aware of her unease and distrust, not after what happened to her; he was briefed about it, but did not wish to delve deeper into it.
"Alright, I believe you," Katherine sighed before glaring at him briefly, "For now," she added before they both resumed the path they took. Katherine explained their brief adventure, at how they found themselves in an unknown place near the institution; she gave brief, somewhat vague descriptions of the place and refrained from giving any names, or specific dates. She refuses to trust him just yet.
Deckard paid attention and nodded at some parts, aware that she was not revealing much that could be crucial for him; there was little detail to her story as he nodded at certain times, even writing it down on his little notepad that he kept inside his rear pocket. She seemed rather guarded, but he did not blame her; he knew well enough how distrustful her kind was, but he sensed honesty in her, yet there was much hurt in her actions.
Eventually, the road before them ended; the story Katherine spun was enough for Deckard to report, but he was willing to overlook several things. They got near the freeway, almost within earshot of the vehicles, but did not get any closer. Katherine stood at the edge, then stared at the passing cars, almost as if reminiscing the week that she ventured on the road.
Deckard stood a few feet away from her and noted the distant look in her gaze as though there was a secret she did not wish to reveal. Holding his tongue back, he merely allowed Katherine to take a few deep breaths, to observe her as much as the rest of the NoMs he had observed the past few days.
"Well, thanks for your time," he broke the silence and caught her attention; the nearly indifferent blend of grey in her irises vanished. "I appreciate your cooperation."
Katherine nodded as they began their pace back, "What will you do with this information?"
"Well, I'm just going to submit the report to the clan," he admitted, "But beyond that and whatever action they may take, it will be none of my concern," he explained, "I'm not keen on violence and prefer to watch, only when necessary do I fight."
She nodded again, "Understandable, but why didn't you fight me back?"
"I gambled," he chuckled in admittance as Katherine found him rather amusing, "You could've gotten away with murder, but then I knew you wouldn't do it considering that it would only give Alexis all the more reason to hunt you."
Impressed, Katherine hummed, "Fair point," then gave him a curious stare, "Do you know Jesslyn?"
"Agent Viper?" He quickly replied. Katherine noticed the sudden skip in his heartbeat, but chose to ignore it, knowing how frightening Jesslyn's name could be to certain agents; she has heard the story once from Thesalia and she never heard it again.
She scoffed with amusement then emphasized; "FORMER agent Viper, correction."
"Yeah, I heard about her but I don't know her personally," he answered truthfully, one that Katherine noticed as his heartrate returned to normalcy, "I doubt there's anyone who doesn't know about her and Athena."
She grew wide-eyed for a second, "Athena?"
"Yeah, those two used to be the biggest rivals in our history after all," he answered, which seemed to have caught her attention. "They have been at each other's throats for years since they were young and it's amazing how they got along. They are the very picture of how opposites attract!" he blurted out in astonishment that seemed to have gotten her staring at him, "But then, they already had history when they were born, so I'm told."
Humming, Katherine nodded as they approached the lake. There was silence between them as they got closer; there was not a hint of curiosity from her, one he was hoping she would have. The wind blew against them that made him shiver for a moment, which made Katherine raise a brow.
"Gosh the wind in this state," he groaned as the breeze blew past, "I can never get used to it."
Katherine hummed, "How old are you?"
"Two ahead of you if I'm not wrong," Deckard replied as Katherine nodded and dropped the conversation. Silence drawled over their shoulders as neither of them had anything else to say.
Deckard observed his surroundings, basking in the sun's heat as the autumn wind blew softly past them. At times, he wondered how the people could stand the temperature that was neither cold nor hot, just enough for them to enjoy, but despise at the same time.
He never favoured the cold breeze of autumn, or the unfavourable conditions of snow that rose nearly to his knee. The warm sun was always his favourite, allowing him to change as the days shifted into night and back again; those were the days that he enjoyed most as people surrounded him on a daily basis.
Now, the wind was everywhere that even the trees bow to it. Leaves crunched under their feet as the crisp leaves surfed the earth, the wind sailing past the piles of leaves huddled together and past the tall pines that have slowly gone bald from the coming season. Rustling of branches echoed overhead, creating a soft melodic tune of peace.
Half way past the lake, Deckard noticed the lack of crunching beside him, making him turn around and stare at his companion. Her eyes were stuck in front of her, widened at every corner; her jaw was tight as much as her body quivered, but anger was evident more than the fear her eyes gave out.
She suddenly doubled over with her hands covering her ears, making Deckard sprint over. He slid along the ground and caught her just as she fell forward, then cradled her as he watched her grit her teeth. In his arms, he felt her quiver lightly as though moving in fast motions.
"What's wrong?" Deckard asked frantically, shaking her slightly in hopes to get an answer. "Hey, talk to me!"
Screeches nulled her hearing as anger thrashed inside her, making her brain frenzy. Her eyes lit up in copper before darkening to pure gold as her body spaz out as though trying to unleash hell upon someone. Her body contorted out of control in order to supress the rage that had built up; the need to unleash her fury had yet to be fulfilled.
Her eyes glared hard at a patch, the shadow from before – or perhaps a new one – was there. It screeched at her as though taunting her and even wrecking the thin veil in front of her with loud hammering; it maddened her, wanting to rip that shadow to pieces for burning her senses.
Deckard cradled her, hugged her close as he could muster. He wondered why she suddenly fallen into contortion; his eyes searched for what her seething eyes looked at, but saw nothing in front of him. Only the trees surrounded them for the only bodies walking that leaf-filled, dirt path was them.
"I'm taking you back," he announced as he lifted Katherine effortlessly as though she did not weigh anything. Sprinting, Deckard flew back the way they came from and with great haste, arrived at her cabin within minutes; eyes indefinitely stared at them as he burst through the cabin door and laid her on the sofa.
"What's going on?" Scarlett demanded as she emerged from her room with eyes angered in furrowed brows. Her eyes softened at the sight of Deckard, who was kneeling down next to Katherine, who seemed to have greatly perspired somewhat, but breathed normally.
"I'm fine, Deckard," Katherine assured him as she calmed down as much as her eyes reverted to their natural grey. "I just... had a headache."
Deckard shook his head, sceptic, "Sudden spasms don't come from headaches," he placed a hand on hers and squeezed it, "You had me worried there, Katherine."
Scarlett sauntered over and examined her, "You alright?" she asked as though genuinely concerned, but Katherine smelt through her guise; she stood next to Deckard and almost knelt next to him, her eyes obviously on the older teen. "Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
"No, I don't," Katherine replied as she ignored Deckard's hand and stood up, "Training is over and I'm allowed to go," she spoke as she walk past the duo, "I'll take my leave now."
"Wait," Deckard called out as he followed after her, "Hold on, I'm coming with you."
"I'm fine, you don't ha-"
Taking a step closer, Deckard leant in just as Katherine turned around; it made her took several steps back as her back touched the door, which made him rest his palm at the door, further trapping her in place before he looked straight in her eyes. There was silence between that allowed a lone echo from her heart beat against her ears; it paralysed her at the sound, wondering why it even occurred.
"No, I insist," his words made her stop, her eyes flickering from his stained blue eyes to his lips as though wondering if they would meet, "I'll take you home."
"I'm coming too!" Scarlett announced, but Deckard looked at her over his shoulder, then back at Katherine. He dropped his head for a moment before he walked over to Scarlet then shook his head, causing the teen to frown for a moment. He offered her a smile that seemed to have removed any trace of dismay; he gave her a light pat on the head for understanding.
Deckard smiled, "I appreciate your concern," he thanked her and slightly ruffled her hair, "But I'll be enough just for this one journey."
Returning to her senses, Katherine took this opportunity to leave the cabin, hoping that Deckard would not pursue her. She walked in a hurry towards the exit, almost sprinting in pace, but there was a hammering behind her head that prevented her from doing so.
"Katherine!" Deckard called out as he caught up to her, but she did not turn to face him or even look at him. "I'm just going to escort you, okay?"
Groaning, Katherine rolled her eyes and said; "You don't have to."
"I'm not taking chances," he replied as Katherine picked up her pace, swinging her arms as she tried to gain momentum for a run. Deckard noticed the rise in pace and matched hers whilst her kept his distance, but his eyes remained on her; worry was evident in his eyes, but Katherine did not have to look at him to know. She could smell it.
Gaining speed, Katherine finally ran and left Deckard behind; she did not care about him as she rushed past the trees, aware that he would not be able to catch up. How could he even, he was just mortal after all; assassin or not, a human could never match a NoM.
Or could they?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You have been silent for some time now, captain," Vivian spoke as she approached him, "Mind I call you captain?"
Zander kept his eyes away from her, "I find your insults highly overrated."
"Your outfit is more of jest to me than anything, Zander," Vivian scoffed at his remarks, "Past the pleasantries," she spoke, "What is it that you have yet to tell us?"
Zander walked away, "I'm not obligated to tell you anything, countess."
"You're rudeness is childish," she scoffed again as she rolled her eyes at his retreating back, "You truly are pathetic when it comes to others," she loathed him, "Trying to protect them by not doing anything. It sounds awfully familiar and I very well know the ending of such a story."
Halting in step, Zander looked over his shoulder and caught a glance of Vivian's wicked grin, aware that she had struck a chord with him. He glared at her for a moment before he walked away from her words; he knew what she spoke of, but had let go of it long ago – long, long ago, when his lungs still drew breath.
As he walked through the realm, his footsteps stopped as he noticed blots above his path; there were places that seemed too familiar. The images within the blotches appeared to have been taken from his memory; the islands, the ships and even the people he saved – all of them were there.
What are these? He questioned himself as he approached the closest blot out of place in the wide expanse of white in their realm. There were several of them as much as there were several spectres about; it made him wonder if they too, could see these things.
As he approached, the ground shook violently that made him fall and land face front onto the white ground. The blotches enlarged themselves as loud, unearthly, maniacal screams soon erupted in their quiet realm.
He looked up to see these apparitions, only to find them non-existent but the tremors felt utterly real. The other souls nearby were on the ground, trying to figure out why the floor they stood on shook; it was as if everyone there was asking the same question.
How could that even happen?
The tremors subsided and the blots of memories disappeared. Zander slowly got up and tried to think of why all those suddenly happened; the answer came only in a bead of sweat that trickled down his temple. He closed his eyes for a moment as he looked at the horizon of white before him.
"Devastating isn't it?"
"How was that even possible?!"
"What's going on here?!"
Adjusting his coat, he stood straight and resumed his pace to where he thought to go. The light around him, the familiar setting, the air that exist but they could not feel. How he long to feel the salty air about, but he knew well enough that he will never feel it again.
Halting, he thought of Hailey and worried over her well-being. It has been a week since they have permanently lodged themselves into the infamous Marshe house. He noticed the sudden change in her but could not say for certain that it mattered.
The wolf he despised from the beginning, Katherine Wilson, remained nonresponsive to Hailey's affection. He knew not if his words pierced through her or even made a dent, but he was sure that Katherine was avoiding Hailey, despite her efforts for them to rekindle their fire.
He was not oblivious to their affections and he was certain that the despicable wolf still felt the same, only she was holding back to the highest extent. The lonesome stares she would shoot her remained and he could not count on both hands the times she gave Hailey indifferent, yet loving eyes.
If only she had chosen someone better, he thought as he sighed through his nostrils before creating an exit for himself; the white surroundings around him darkened as lightning cracks tore open the fabric of their reality, creating a hole to the other realm.
Walking through the exit, he found Hailey asleep in the last room in the right on the second floor. She was curled over in a ball, hugging what looked like a small, dirty grey, koala plush toy. It looked like it had been shelved for years and yet there she was, hugging it close to her chest.
A smile crept on his lips, a smile that spoke of fondness and love. He sat next to her and caressed her blue hair, almost making the young teen shiver from his touch. As Hailey shook slightly, he pulled away and felt a presence nearby that made him stand, then stealthily vanish with the wind.
The doorknob twisted quietly and the door opened ever so slow. Slow gruelling seconds went as he waited, but not a single soul entered the room. He phased through the wall and saw Hailey's visitor, none other than her own chosen guardian.
"Don't bother her slumber, wolf," he spoke with discontent, but held his tone.
Katherine closed the door silently, "I was asked to call her, but," she paused and turned around to face him, "I guess she can't come down for dinner."
Realising the time, Zander noticed the darkness around him as he looked away for a moment, accepting the reality of this world. Nodding in silence, he floated past her and phased into the room, then found the topic of their discussion already sitting by the side of the bed.
"Supper is ready, child," Zander announced in a low voice, "How did you sleep?"
Hailey turned to him and gave a small, yet tired smile, "It was okay," she replied in her sleepy voice and felt the air around the darkroom; the emotions that floated nearby. "Is that wolfie?"
Zander did not reply as he watched her tap her cheeks lightly as if trying to shake the sleep away. Hailey got up and walked towards the door then opened the door. Just as she expected, Katherine was there with her back against the wall with arms crossed.
There was a smile on Hailey's face as Katherine lifted her head from the floor. It was as warm, even warmer than her own body temperature. It took her a second to respond; she gave her a smile as Hailey's spirit somehow lifted as her smile reached her ears.
"Hey," Hailey spoke as she approached her, "How was your day?"
Katherine shrugged, "I hardly broke a sweat."
"Oh really?" Hailey giggled as she sensed Katherine's emotions, warm and kind as the night. She reached out to touch her cheek but halted, afraid that Katherine would not allow her. She looked away for a moment as though dejected.
Noticing the look in her eye, Katherine took her hand and kissed her palm as if to assure her that she was alright. She sensed her uncertainty as much as she was trying to banish her own; she was certain something was wrong with herself.
"Come here," Katherine whispered as she pulled Hailey into a hug and held her close, then hid her face on her shoulder which caught the young fae by surprise, "I missed you, fae."
Caught unguarded, Hailey fell silent. For the whole week that she had tried to strike a conversation with her, Katherine had always refrained from talking or even, ran away from her. To have her hold her, it was quite a surprise for her – one she truly appreciated. Half of her held back from tears as she wrapped her arms around her waist kissed her shoulder as if to tell herself that it was real.
"I missed you too, wolfie," she whispered back as they held each other for a moment. Katherine could feel her heartbeat surge with anxiety; it has been a while since she had held the person she loved so close whilst she had to hide her true feelings from her. Just for now, she wanted her to know that she still felt the same.
Pulling back, Hailey cupped Katherine's cheek as the wolf leant into her palm; a soft purr already whispering from her body. They exchanged loving smiles as Hailey rubbed her thumb gently on Katherine's cheek as she tried to hold herself back even further.
Closing in, their eyes locked as they waited for the inevitable. Their breaths collided as Katherine held Hailey's waist; their heartbeats blazing through the roof. Slowly, their eyelids dropped as their lips grew inches closer, further closing the gap between them that had grown immensely for the last few days.
"There you guys are!" A voice called out from the end of the hallway.
In a matter of seconds, Katherine dropped her hands on Hailey and pushed her back lightly, which stunned the young fae for a moment. Hailey looked at Katherine with slightly, furrowed brows as confusion struck her face; she did not understand why Katherine had done that.
She examined the wolf and noticed the string of emotions inside her; the burning love she had not a moment ago vanished and turned into embarrassment, yet this kind of embarrassment was not of being found out, but because of something – something even she could not lay a finger on.
She watched as Katherine turned to face him as much she did too; she watched as her love greet him with the smile she often gave her - the smile that showed a lot of emotion, of love and happiness – as much as his lips curved up in near perfection. Her eyes narrowed on him as Katherine met him halfway as if to further hide her emotions – something she was completely failing to do.
"Jesslyn's been whining at how long you've been taking, so I thought I'd come get both of you," Deckard explained despite none asking. Hailey observed him and felt something awfully familiar about him, but could not understand what.
Katherine nodded with the smile still on her face, "Yeah sorry, I was thinking twice about waking her."
"Oh," he whispered and nodded, "I see."
Katherine looked away sheepishly, "Yeah, sorry for taking long."
"Hey, it's no biggie," he replied as he patted her shoulder to lift her spirits, "You were just doing what you were told."
Katherine kept a small smile as heat gradually rose to her cheeks; she knew not why it came to be, but Deckard's presence seemed to be affecting her. Ever since his invasion of her breathing space earlier, her body seemed to be reacting to his touch as if she had felt them somewhere before.
For more than a minute, silence ensued and not a word came from anyone. A tinge of vex popped an invisible vain on Hailey's forehead as she walked over to them with a smile; she took his hand from Katherine's shoulder, then made them shake hands, which caught the young adult by surprise.
"I'm Hailey," she introduced herself with a smile and firmly shook his hand without letting go, "And who might you be?"
Deckard gave her the same megawatt smile, "I'm uh Deckard," he replied a little nervously, then shook her hand gently, but could definitely feel the strength in her grip, "Deckard Orion, observer to the clan."
"Observer?" she queried, a little suspicious.
Deckard nodded, "Yeah, I look over a few towns that has NoM activities."
"Quite the title then," she replied as Deckard chuckled at her.
Katherine stood there and smelt fury rage from Hailey. The fae's grip on him was intense from the way her prints were almost etched on his skin. The two stared at each other and she was certain that she could see sparks fly for no reason, almost making her nervous just being around them. Unable to hold their tension, she placed a hand on each of their wrists and pulled them apart, which caught both of their attention.
"Dinner's waiting," Katherine spoke as she walked past them with a hand on each wrist, dragging both of them, "I can hear Jesslyn's stomach rumbling as much as Art is annoying her."
There was silence behind her as she can still smell the burn between them. Katherine lead both of them to the dining room, still holding both of their wrist and even settled them down on separate seats. She placed Deckard to Jesslyn's right and opposite of Art, whilst she sat Hailey next to Art which left her sitting next to Deckard.
"Since you guys are so late, I am officially going to eat without you next time," Jesslyn spoke with a bit of vex but remained calm. "Well, dig in before I chop the lot of you."
"It's about time you three came down," Art added as he chuckled at them, holding a bottle of beer on his left and tipping it over for a sip, "This woman was already killing me with her eyes, I was sure she would kill me if you hadn't come any sooner."
"Shut it," Jesslyn hissed and chewed on her grilled burger, "I will stab you with this fork if I hear another word from you."
Art just chuckled and turned to Deckard, "So, hermano, what do you think of your idol acting like that?"
"Oh, uh," Deckard chuckled a little nervously, "I think she lives up to the rumours."
Art hummed, "Oooh, juicy gossip," he nearly cooed, "Tell me what they say about this wild puma."
Deckard turned to Jesslyn for an answer, but the she was surprising looking at him as though curious herself. He then turned to Katherine who merely shrugged in response and Hailey was no help either; the blue haired teen was obviously glaring daggers at him for no apparent reason, nearly making him choke on his drink.
"You guys put me in a spot here," he whined a little, but humorously delivered it, "Well, she is the sassy one of the aces, so it's to be expected that she's the rebellious daughter of the clan."
Deckard began his tales of gossip for the table and everyone seemed to be interested – all except Hailey. She had her eye on him as she felt something awfully familiar about him, but could not seem to find it. Her head was fuming with doubts and suspicion that she did not realise that everyone was asking several questions.
"Did you guys feel that?"
"Yeah, it was strong."
"That's the third this week."
"Are you okay?" Deckard asked Katherine sincerely and placed a hand on her shoulder with concern.
At the sight of this, Hailey felt a spark inside her fuel just as rain started to pour outside. The grip she had on her fork tightened by parameters even Jesslyn could not compute, enough to bend it slightly. She was about to throw the small silver at Deckard, when Katherine smiled in reply and removed his hand from her shoulder as though aware of Hailey's vex.
"Yeah, no need to worry," Katherine replied and dropped his hand before returning her eyes on the food she cooked, "It was just a small tremor."
"Do not have your heart react to them, child," Zander manifested next to Hailey and spoke only to her; the table had returned to its usual banter, where Jesslyn and Art playfully bickered like children and ignored everyone else. "Tis unwise for you to succumb to the madness your chest declare where your mind repeatedly rejects."
"Even so," Deckard spoke, "It was worrisome."
Katherine scoffed humorously, "I'm not someone you should worry over."
"Well, it's technically my job to worry," he rebutted with a chuckle.
Katherine rolled her eyes, "Doesn't apply to me, Deck."
"Do not fool yourself of this illusion," he continued as Hailey watched the two in front of her laugh between themselves heartily; Katherine's emotions were gently – far different from the ones she had been showing towards her, almost pinching her heart with pins and needles.
"This feeling of love will only hurt you."
~
~
A/N: Uh oh. Who is this Deckard? And why is he even having dinner in Athena's house? (Am I allowed to curse here?) WhoTF he think he is? lols
I been busy with finals recently and well, you can imagine my heartache at the slow pace of this book. Even as I work, I can't forget how the story flows in this book as much as the other book, Always, but never have the time to actually type them. I have tried writing them in scraps of paper but lost most of them. Oh well...
If you enjoyed the chapter, please Vote, Comment, and Follow if you haven't (: All support is appreciated :D
~
~
©bookie032 2015-2016